Ultrasound Scanning Fundamentals - Week 1 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical terms, planes, patient positions, ultrasound equipment, scanning techniques, and common sonographic terminology from Week 1 notes.

Anatomical Position

Patient is erect, facing the observer; feet flat and directed forward; arms at the sides; palms facing forward; thumbs pointing away from the body.

Superior

Above or toward the head; cranial/cephalic.

Inferior

Below or away from the head; caudal.

Cranial (Cephalic)

Toward the head; the skull end.

Caudal

Toward the tail or lower end of the body.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Lateral

Toward the side of the body; away from the midline.

Midline

Imaginary vertical line down the middle of the body.

Anterior

Front; toward the front of the body (ventral).

Posterior

Back; toward the back of the body (dorsal).

Proximal

Toward the trunk or origin; near the point of attachment.

Distal

Away from the trunk or origin; farther from attachment.

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the body.

Contralateral

On opposite sides of the body.

Superficial

Closer to the surface of the body.

Deep

Away from the surface; toward the interior.

RUQ

Right Upper Quadrant; one of the four abdominal regions.

LUQ

Left Upper Quadrant.

RLQ

Right Lower Quadrant.

LLQ

Left Lower Quadrant.

Subcostal

Region below the costal margin; a common ultrasound landmark.

Iliac Crest

Superior border of the ilium; a landmark for ultrasound anatomy.

Transverse Plane / Axial Plane

Horizontal plane; divides body into upper and lower parts; 90 degrees to sagittal plane.

Sagittal / Longitudinal Plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts; 90 degrees to transverse.

Coronal / Frontal Plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior sections; 90 degrees to sagittal.

Supine

Lying flat on the back, facing upward.

Prone

Lying flat on the abdomen, face down.

Left Lateral Decubitus (LLD)

Lying on the left side with hips and shoulders at 90 degrees to the stretcher.

Right Lateral Decubitus (RLD)

Lying on the right side with hips and shoulders at 90 degrees to the stretcher.

Left Posterior Oblique (LPO)

One shoulder touching the stretcher; the other shoulder at about 45 degrees to the stretcher.

Right Posterior Oblique (RPO)

One shoulder touching the stretcher; the other shoulder at about 45 degrees to the stretcher.

Trendelenburg

Lying flat with the feet higher than the head.

Fowler’s (Sitting)

Semi-erect or upright sitting position to aid breathing.

Curvilinear Probe

Ultrasound transducer used for abdominal/pelvic exams; lower frequency for deeper penetration.

Linear Probe

Ultrasound transducer used for superficial structures; higher frequency for better resolution.

Sector Probe

Ultrasound transducer used for echocardiography.

Abdominal/Pelvic Probe Use

Curvilinear probe (C6-2) to penetrate deeper organs.

Superficial Structures Probe Use

Linear probe (L18-4 or L12-5) for high-resolution imaging of superficial structures.

Vascular Probe Use

Linear probe (L12-4) for vascular imaging.

Echocardiography Probe

Sector probe (S4-2) for cardiac imaging.

Probe Hold

Light, comfortable grip; pinkie side of hand against the patient’s skin for control.

Sliding

Moving the transducer across the skin with continued contact.

Compression

Pressing the transducer to assess tissue compressibility (e.g., veins vs arteries).

Rotating / Pivoting

Rotating the probe to change imaging plane (sagittal vs transverse).

Angling / Rocking

Tilting the transducer to extend the imaging plane in a narrow acoustic window.

Tilting

Moving the probe in the superior/inferior direction to change the view.

Depth

2D imaging depth; deeper imaging requires adjustments that may reduce resolution.

Focus / Focal Zone

Area of the beam that is narrowest; highest intensity and best resolution.

Gain

Overall brightness of the ultrasound image.

Time Gain Compensation (TGC)

Controls depth-specific gain to equalize brightness across depths.

Freeze

Pause real-time imaging; allows measurements and storage of images.

Print / Store / Acquire

Store frozen images or cine clips for later review.

Trackball

Cursor control device used to navigate the screen.

Frequency

Higher frequency improves resolution for superficial structures; lower frequency improves depth penetration.

Transducer / Probe

The ultrasound sensor that emits and receives sound waves.

Ultrasound Gel

Medium between skin and transducer; eliminates air and aids probe movement.

Homogeneous

Even, uniform echo texture.

Heterogeneous

Uneven echo texture with varying echogenicities.

Hyperechoic

Brighter echoes than surrounding tissue.

Hypoechoic

Darker echoes than surrounding tissue.

Isoechoic

Echoes similar in brightness to surrounding tissue.

Anechoic

No echoes; appears black (e.g., fluid-filled structures).

Posterior Shadowing

Dark area behind a structure due to attenuation (e.g., bone).

Through Transmission / Acoustic Posterior Enhancement

Bright area behind a structure with little attenuation (e.g., fluid-filled structures).

Interface

Boundary between two tissues with different acoustic properties.